Video Almanac

Milestones – 2010

May 2: Leaves emerge from stem cells in buds formed during shoot growth more than a year before. Grape development is a multi year process that may be influenced by weather and nutrients in a prior year.

May 11: In spring’s warmth, sap flows like a small river upward from the roots, bringing nutrients and hormones to the newly forming leaves. In the winter cover crop planted between the vine rows, the same thing is happening, creating nitrogen compounds and organic materials that will be plowed in to enrich the vineyard soil.

May 19: At about 10 o’clock this morning, the winter cover crop was mowed down to begin its process of incorporation of natural nutrients into the vineyard soil.

May 30: The new shoots forming along the horizontal cane now have about 6 leaves. They are still drawing nutrients, especially sugar, from the roots, but soon they will become new contributors to the nutrient economy of the vine.

June 8: The new shoots now have 8-9 leaves and, perhaps even more importantly, tight new clusters about an inch long, called inflorescences that will become flowers. Each flower could become a grape berry, but the usual rate is about 50% of the flowers will actually form a berry.

June 14: Caught in the act, the vigneron is plowing the cover crop under, loosening the soil and enriching it with the nutrients and organic matter in the clover, vetch, peas, and grass of the cover crop mixture.

June 24: The flower inflorescences are about 3 inches long and are nearly ready to open as flowers. He very rapid phase of leaf and shoot growth covers most of the inflorescences, but two are clearly visible in these photos.

July 8: The wild and unruly growth of the vines nearly obscures the new flowers, which will be opening and fertilized over the next 5-7 day period. The grape flowers are not very attractively fragrant, but that doesn’t matter much as the flowers are mostly self-fertilized even before the flower opens.

July 15: The structure the newly forming grape clusters is barely visible as the flowers become tiny hard green spheres about 1 mm in diameter.

July 25: The obvious new grape clusters now have berries about the size of bee bees.

August 10: The weight of the developing berries is beginning to bend the clusters downward.

August 25: The leaves in the fruiting zone are pulled off of the canes on the east side of the vine row to allow more sun and air to reach the grape clusters.

August 25: The grapes enter a time over the next several weeks called lag phase, when there is no apparent activity. Internally, however, cells are dividing and preparing to become full of sugar and flavor compounds after color change.

September 5: The faintest purple is beginning to show on a berry here and there. The color change period is called véraison. The cool weather in 2010 prolonged the color change period.

September 15: Around 11:30 this morning a crew passed through the vineyard cutting off excess fruit and clusters with too many green berries. These removed clusters can be seen on the ground.

September 20: To enhance ripening and minimize mold growth in the cool 2010 season, the leaves in the fruiting zone on the west side of the vine row were pulled to let more sun light and air to reach the grape clusters.

October 6: The berries on the grape clusters previously lagging in full color development have finally caught up. The clusters are now of full size and weight.

October 13: Even as the late afternoon sun warms and ripens the dark clusters, the vines begin to show their age, leaves turn yellow, and harvest nears.

October 21: At 11:30 AM, at the call of the winemaker and barely ahead of leaf fall which is starting, the pinot noir grapes are harvested and taken to the winery. At first glance the grapeless vines are a forlorn sight, but the pressure of bird predation and mold formation make harvest a relief. And at harvest, the grapes did taste very good!

November 12: The golden leaves have all fallen. The Burgundian Côte d’Or has nothing on an Oregon vineyard.